Chris Wilder admits his pursuit of a loan striker may go down to the wire after admitting he is "quite amazed" at the strength of clubs that Sheffield United are competing with in the transfer market.

Wilder, whose side travel to the Macron Stadium to face Bolton tomorrow, has made a new striker his top priority as he seeks someone to complement his current strikeforce of Leon Clarke, Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick.

Chris Wilder of Sheffield United

United have been linked with the likes of Scott Hogan and Sam Gallagher all summer, but are understood to have been frustrated by the wage demands of several targets.

And, speaking ahead of next Friday's 5pm deadline for loan signings, Wilder said: "We are not going to just go and get somebody for the sake of it.

"We are working really hard - there are three or four names on the list we have got - and it is an area we are looking to improve before next week.

"It might go to the wire, which is a ridiculous scenario. Whatever window we have to work in, it seems to be that way.

"I have said all along, honestly and openly, that we are not in a situation to press the button when we want to do it, when we are dealing with the calibre of players we are trying to bring in.

"Hopefully when the window shuts, we will have two players in who will make us better."

Wilder admitted yesterday that United are interested in Middlesbrough's Marvin Johnson as well as a striker, but must wait for Tony Pulis to bring in other players before he will consider sanctioning Johnson's release.

"Overall, we will feel we have had a decent window," the United boss added.

"We are just waiting on other clubs to do business, to free players up. I am quite amazed by the power and strength of clubs who we are competing with.

"I think sometimes that gets forgotten by everyone around this football club, what we are up against and competing with.

"Deals which we can do, we will do as quickly as possible. Would we like to be in a situation where we call the shots?

"We would love to be that powerful club that has all the resources that goes with trying to get a team out of this division. But we are not."

The new striker, Wilder says, "has to fit in with the way we play, what we need, and what we already have in the building.

"We have the likes of Billy Sharp who is a box player, he scores and plays in and around the 18-yard box; David McGoldrick is a link-up player; Leon Clarke is an all-round player, so we probably need something a little bit different to complement the others.